Court Avoids Gun Rights Dispute

Staying out of the national debate over guns, the Supreme Court today declined to weigh in on whether gun owners have a constitutional right to carry handguns outside the home. The decision to pass on the issue came in a challenge to a New York state law that requires those who want to carry a concealed handgun to show they have a special reason for a license. Opponents of the law argue that the right to bear arms is not limited to the right to keep a gun at home. On SCOTUSblog, legal commentators suggested the case would have been a good one for the court to consider since there is a clear split among federal appeals courts on whether constitutional gun rights extend beyond the home.